The Hertie School’s mission is to prepare students for leadership positions in government, business and civil society. Our vision is to create a thriving community guided by academic excellence, where research, teaching and real-world experience go hand-in-hand.
Since its establishment in 2003, the school has benefitted from the support of its founder and major partner, the Hertie Foundation, as well as the ongoing input of its board members, who are all leaders in their own fields. Alongside the generous support of our donors and partner organisations we have expanded our work over the last two decades, contributing to debates on many of the major governance challenges of our time.
Five guiding principles underpin our mission. Our interdisciplinary focus and policy orientation, which is made possible through our diverse body of faculty, adjuncts, guest lecturers and researchers from academia and practice. An intersectoral approach – the understanding that governance challenges go beyond the public sector and call for an equally active role from the private sector and civil society. Internationality, which translates into both our academic approach in a globalising world and our remarkably international community. Our emphasis on applied research, which integrates practitioners into teaching and exposes students to the complexities of modern governance through first-hand experiences. Finally, we aim to promote a culture of ethics and responsible leadership through shared values that are instilled in our curriculum, our research and our daily engagement.
The Hertie School currently offers a Master of Public Policy (MPP), a Master of International Affairs (MIA), and an Executive Master of Public Administration (Executive MPA). In September 2021, we welcomed our first cohort of the new Master of Data Science for Public Policy (MDS). With over 2,100 alumni worldwide, we prepare an ever-increasing number of next-generation leaders, who will address global issues in fields ranging from climate change to urbanisation, international security to human rights. More than 70 PhD researchers form an integral part of our study ecosystem, working closely alongside our faculty and five Centres of Competence and Data Science Lab. Since 2004, over 4,000 participants have attended our Executive Education programmes.
The Hertie School belongs to the Global Public Policy Network (GPPN), a group of the world’s leading public policy schools and is a founding member of CIVICA, a network of eight leading European higher education institutions in the social sciences, humanities, business management and public policy. In 2020, we joined the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA).
We are also active alongside the Freie Universität Berlin and the Social Science Centre Berlin (WZB) through SCRIPTS. Our PhD researchers participate in the research training group DYNAMICS, a joint endeavour of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, funded by the German Research Foundation. Through the "Berlin School of Economics" (BSE), we collaborate with the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, European School of Management and Technology (ESMT), WZB Berlin Social Science Center, and DIW Berlin (German Institute for Economic Research) to provide a structured career development programme for junior economists.
Through our many events, and backed by the international, cultural and political resources of Berlin, the Hertie School is a vital platform for public debate in Europe. Our reach and impact continues to grow and we regularly convene experts, public leaders, faculty and students to discuss current governance challenges.
I warmly invite you to learn more about the Hertie School, attend our upcoming events, or join our community by enrolling in one of our programmes. We hope to welcome you on our campus in the near future.
President
